North Korea says detains American for trespassing

North Korea said on Thursday it had detained an American who crossed into its territory from China on Jan. 25 and was interrogating him.

The North's official KCNA news agency said the man was "trespassing" but gave no further details.

North Korea has been holding another U.S. citizen, activist Robert Park, who was captured in December when he crossed into the communist state saying he planned to raise awareness about its human rights abuses.

The United States, which does not have diplomatic relations with North Korea, said it had asked Sweden, which represents its interests in Pyongyang, to look into the report.

"It's obviously something we take seriously," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley told reporters in Washington, saying the United States had no confirmation of the report but suggesting it was plausible.

"Right now we're operating on the assumption that it's entirely possible that we have a second American citizen detained in North Korea in addition to Robert Park," he said.

In August, former U.S. President Bill Clinton went to North Korea to win the release of two American journalists held by the state for about four months for suspected illegal entry. Clinton's high-profile visit paved the way for direct U.S.-North Korean nuclear talks.

Analysts have said North Korea may try to use Park as a bargaining chip with the United States in high-stakes negotiations over the North's nuclear ambitions.

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